City Guadalupe, Nuevo León Frequency 1050 kHz | Slogan La Mera Mera First air date 1944 | |
Broadcast area Monterrey Metropolitan area Branding La Ranchera de Monterrey | ||
XEG-AM is a Class A radio station on clear-channel frequency 1050 kHz in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. It is licensed for Guadalupe, Nuevo León and brands itself as serving Monterrey. Known for its border blaster status in the 1950s, it now uses the name La Ranchera de Monterrey and broadcasts ranchera music.
History
XEG received its concession on February 21, 1944. In 1950, the advertising time on XEG came under the control of Harold Schwartz of Chicago who also came to represent XERB-AM near Tijuana/Rosarito, Baja California, the station made famous in the movie American Graffiti.
During the mid- and late 1970s, XEG (then at 150 kW power, directional north) was known for its nighttime English-language Soul/R&B music shows. For 4-6 hours per night, taped transcriptions from KGFJ (Los Angeles) disc jockeys made specifically for XEG were audible all throughout the Southern, Southwestern and Midwestern US, and in central Canada. The station eventually became a reporter to several trade publications because of its influence.
In the late 1970s, XEG's powerful nighttime signal attracted several U.S. ministries, including Billy James Hargis. But between programs, commercials occasionally offered suspicious-sounding medicines which promised to "cure cancer" and other illnesses. By 1982, they were known as "The Golden Gospel Giant".
The XEG mailing address announced on the air was antiquated: "Post Office Box 28, St. Louis, 66, Missouri." This was more than a decade after ZIP codes were introduced across the U.S. As of November, 2014, QSL (reception report) cards are still served at this address (currently: PO Box 28, St. Louis, MO 63166-0028.)